Why Substack?

Social media platforms and doing the best with what we have right now.

A few people have asked about the development of The Floral Society—specifically, why on Substack?

For those who are not familiar with the term, I recommend learning about Cory Doctorow’s concept of “enshittification.” He identified a pattern by which the dominant social media companies change their approach and who they reward, as they grow audience, grow content providers, grow advertising revenue, and ultimately leverage the three to maximize their own profitability.

The established, major social media platforms will take money to promote all sorts of shlock, but they are very reluctant to host the same content—especially when it involves marijuana—in membership accounts. Those of you who have managed a Facebook or Instagram account that focused on it know what it is to have content snatched, to be summarily suspended (with an automated appeals process that rarely and capriciously reverses the decision) for photos or references to “marijuana” in the text of a post.

Ten years ago today, I was trapped in the DC Hilton.